


Huge Revolution: Gathering Wishes.

by lalunaticscribe



Series: Revolution [6]
Category: One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Drabbles, Drama, Gen, Humor, Nakama, Nakamaship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-14
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 09:10:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2616296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunaticscribe/pseuds/lalunaticscribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A drabble series paired up with the main Revolution series of crossovers. The result of boredom and seeking inspiration to continue with Huge Revolution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gearspring Spirit

**Author's Note:**

> Please review!

_After Thriller Bark, before reaching the Sabaody Archipelago..._

In any other pirate ship, the captain would be more responsible for the ship's upkeep. The captain would be minding the books, managing duties, and discussing safe courses with the navigator. The same logic should have been applied to nearly all ships to ensure smooth upkeep, but the pirate ship Thousand Sunny was, if anything, an exception to that rule for the simple reason of self-preservation. Duties aboard the pirate ship Thousand Sunny were therefore decided by drawing straws. Barely ten seconds after, Franky switched lots with Yusei, and hence the current scene where the new handyman was tugging at the captain's arms.

"Luffy-san...!" Yusei huffed. "A bath is necessary for your personal hygiene, even if not for the ship's health!"

"Don't wanna!" Luffy yelled, scrabbling at the grassy floor of the Sunny's deck, trying to reach the foremast. Flies gathered around his body and clothes. "Once a week is good enough for anyone!"

"Yusei, you got the Luffy's bath lot already?" Usopp commented on the upper deck, a wrench hanging from one hand. "Give up already."

"But, Nami-san said that he needed it..." Yusei pondered, taking off his gloves to tuck them into his belt for another ineffective tug.

"You're not at the level to handle Luffy yet," Usopp complained. "This rubber man isn't going to give up that easily. You'll have better luck back on Thriller Bark than with throwing Luffy into the bathroom."

"Rubber man... stay, Luffy-san," Yusei turned around, walking into the kitchen and the rear deck.

"What's that guy doing?" Franky drawled. "He gave up?"

"Because you gave him the most difficult duty on the ship!" Usopp complained. "We're going to lose a reliable guy as soon as this ship drops-"

"Shh!" Franky shushed. "We're going to take over now. Enough hazing."

"Ah," Usopp turned to look down as Yusei returned. "He's back-"

"Yusei, what are you doing?" Luffy began to sweat as Yusei reached the foremast. "What's that?"

"Silicone grease, Luffy-san."  _Squirt_.

"Oh, so that's it- what's that do?" Luffy really started as Yusei grabbed his left ankle and wrapped it around his own arm. His fingers scrabbled, sliding and slipping with the rubber lubricant on his fingers tracing the foremast as he attempted to struggle his way to freedom. "Yusei, what did you do?! Let me go-! Captain's orders!"

"Nami-san specifically said that this imperative places Zoro-san in temporary command," Yusei primly replied, even as Luffy's shouts echoed throughout the Sunny in horror.

Usopp sank to his knees. "Franky... did that guy just turn our hazing on us?"

"No... I think we just underestimated that guy's intelligence," Franky muttered, half in awe and half in shame. "He's one of the Sunny's Engineer Musketeers, he won't go down that easily. Still... he's  _awesome_."

"You actually managed to haul Luffy to take a bath?!" Nami echoed the same sentiment later when the crew gathered for dinner. "Yusei, I knew I could count on you!"

"Yusei, I hate you..." Luffy moaned at the head of the table. "My skin feels like it's crawling."

"Well, seeing as rubber is essentially a waterproof material I can see why you hate baths," Yusei commented, setting down his spoon into the Sea King soup. "But you have to scrub down properly, Luffy-san."

Usopp leant over to Franky. "So it wasn't technically a bath?"

"Idiots," Sanji shot from the sidelines. "Anything that can get Luffy to step into the bath's an improvement. We can also save water. The real miracle is that Luffy didn't try to fight the guy out-"

"As promised," Yusei held out the Sea King steak.

"Oh, right."

" _He did that by bribing the Captain?!_ " Usopp and Sanji yelled.

"Well, it's a valid strategy..." Robin smiled as Luffy attacked the steak like a shark would its prey. "But, Handyman-san, won't you be hungry?"

"Just call me Yusei, Robin-san," Yusei replied. "And I did promise him meat. If a skeleton can walk around without muscles, I can survive with less meat."

"Yohoho, I feel rather left out, Yusei-kun... though you are right, I don't have muscles..."

"Don't regret it," Sanji warned. "You still have to maintain the locks, alright?"

"Oi, Yusei," Luffy perked up. "You can pick locks, right?"

"Yes, Luffy-san." Yusei blinked. "I worked as a locksmith once upon a time. Why?"

"Can you pick the fridge lock?"

"NO!" Nami and Sanji assaulted the captain, ending all thoughts of captain-led expeditions to the fridge.

"That's not good, Luffy-san," Yusei smiled with his enigmatic poker face. "Did you scrub under your fingernails...:)?"

"I'll be good... please don't make me take a bath tomorrow..."

"What's your secret, Yusei?" Chopper asked the handyman. "Is there a monster for that?"

"Stand in the room with him," Yusei blandly replied.

"...Yusei," Nami finally broke the silence. "Is there a more feasible solution?"

"Well, he fell asleep in the bath. I was worried he would drown, so I stayed until he scrubbed down."

"Oh." the navigator reflected. "Well, good job."

"Thank you."

Zoro leant over to her. "That was a hazing, right?"

"No... it was a real task," Nami nodded. "If we didn't beat God, I'd think that Yusei was an angel sent from heaven to give us a break."

"So, Yusei," Luffy slurped up the last of Yusei's steak. "What are you doing now? Another mystery project?"

"Would you explain if I were to explain it to you, Luffy-san?"

"No. Shishishishi!" Luffy grinned, still sparkling.

"I'll be in the library, researching." Yusei relented.

"Boring."

"Only you," Nami teased. "If only you can teach this guy to read, Yusei."


	2. Eccentric Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The freakishness of Yusei Fudo aboard the Sunny.

_En route from the Florian Triangle to Sabaody_

Robin was honestly surprised when the new handyman sought her out for information. On hindsight, though, anyone who suddenly claimed to come from a different world would certainly be ignorant about the circumstances of the place and time. Add that the Thousand Sunny regularly ran into trouble, and it was hardly surprising that the same other-dimensional alien had fallen by their ship to become one of theirs.

“So, the Beli is organised by a Roman numeral system, with basic currency organised in terms of either tens or fifties or hundreds,” Yusei considered the spread. “A ß10,000 shirt is expensive... and how is the currency regulated?”

“Regulated?” Robin questioned.

“The value of a currency is usually tied to commodity prices,” Yusei elaborated. “For example, the price of a bag of flour is ß100. Then, say that there's a shortage of flour on the world market, and the supply is slashed, leading to an escalation of prices to ß200 per bag. Of course, that sort of escalation in basic food prices would have shattered the presiding world government's power due to the massive riots that would occur from that, so there must be some sort of artificial peg to prevent inflation and to ensure that prices in one area is applied uniformly, at least.”

“That's an interesting question,” Robin smiled. “The Beli is the world currency, although other countries do use their own currencies as well, such as the Extol or the Gor, but the Beli is the most widely used. The World Government directly regulates the state of the Beli, so I don't think commodity shortage does influence inflation much.”

“I see...”

“Oh, Robin, Yusei,” Nami walked into the library. “What are you guys doing?”

“Yusei asked me to teach him about this world,” Robin answered, smiling from the large communal desk present next to the handyman. “Which reminds me, Nami. Yusei will have to buy some clothings on our next stop.”

“Oh, right!” Nami glanced towards Yusei, who was still wearing the same shirt-trousers combination on which he had accosted the Sunny. “We'll have to go shopping. After cashing in the treasure from Thriller Bark, we could probably find some cheap clothings...”

“Sorry for the trouble, Nami-san,” Yusei shifted.

“It's alright!” Nami smiled. “You're one of us now.”

“Nami-san reminds me of a woman I met... back in my world,” Yusei commented once Nami left the room.

“Oh? Was she nice?”

“...no.” And befitting of his poker face, the handyman said nothing more on that as they turned towards the world economy.

* * *

“So, Robin?” Nami demanded once dinner had been concluded and the mini-party was unwinding on the lawn deck. “Did you find anything freakish about Yusei?”

“Nami, there's Beli symbols in your eyes...”

“I made a bet with Franky, so tell me!” Nami insisted, tending to her orange trees next to Robin's flower-box. “Franky says it's his poker face, but I'm sure it's his ability to summon monsters! Well?”

“Well...” Robin reflected. _The man is gifted in both mechanics, and in understanding human nature. Yet, somehow, the deep concepts of our world has been comprehended and questioned in his mind. This man, Fudo Yusei, is definitely..._

“Yusei, I'm hungry, help me-”

“I picked this off Thriller Bark,” Yusei gave him a packet of beef jerky.

“Thanks,” Luffy walked off, stuffing his face with the jerky.

“Yusei's freakishness is his ability to plan around the D,” Robin smiled at the interaction. “Almost like a gift from heaven.”

... _a genius._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not an economics student, but a world currency like the Beli seems a bit implausible unless the World Government is involved in its direct regulation. I mean, there's no way a gold standard would work in an Age of Pirates where the merchant ships probably aren't even insured, and a sudden injection of gold anywhere would lead to sudden currency depreciation... can someone explain this to me?
> 
> I just realised this, but in the filler Crash Town arc for 5Ds, Barbara was voiced by Akemi Okamura, the same seiyu for Nami in the One Piece animé. Talk about coincidences :).
> 
> Please review!


	3. Dark Designator

“Why Yusei?”

Leaning back upon a reclining chair in the midst of a poker game, Yami no Yuugi paused in consulting his hand. “Hmm?”

“If you wished, _mou hitori no boku_ , you could have retrieved Yusei before anything happened,” Yuugi Mutou discarded a card and accepted another from the dealer. “No matter what he says.”

“Call it an interest, _omote_ ,” Yami commented, considering the King of Spades in his hand. “Amongst us who bear that fate once upon a time, I think Yusei truly understood human suffering.”

“Don't underestimate us, Yami-san,” Judai scolded, handing over a card to the white-haired dealer. “Bakura, you're dealing for a reason.”

“Che,” Yami no Bakura scoffed. “What the Pharaoh means, is that none of you pussies ever struggled with poverty, starvation, or economic struggle. We've all been dealt an average hand of fate; Yusei perhaps more so.”

“'Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. But once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game',” Ryou quoted, calling the bets with a chip. “From Voltaire.”

“True... compared to each of us, Yusei has truly lived life as meant for an ordinary human,” Judai commented. “Besides discrimination, poverty, and despair. He picked up his cards from the junk piles. He used his intelligence and somehow built a D-Wheel out of spare parts. Despite his criminal marker he stuck out to win against his friend. He played his hand really well.”

“In that world where pirates take to the seas in search of a legendary treasure, only two of us who bore that fate hold the life skills needed to survive,” Yami hedged. “Of those two, only Yusei understands the cruelty of life in more than an academic sense. But, all of you speak of it as if my decision mattered at all.”

“It doesn't?” Yami no Bakura mocked.

“It doesn't,” Yami no Yuugi confirmed. “Yusei Fudo is the rare kind of person who knows the weight of fate and justice on his shoulders, and would take on the world if necessary despite knowing _exactly_ what would happen, and he would always do it for his friend. The worst part is that he can truly inspire people, dragging bodies of sufficient mettle into his orbit like a star would.”

Yami frowned. “The fact is, Yusei is... not like us at all. That makes him unique amongst all of us. That makes him... frightening.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amongst the current count of 5 Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonists, I find Yusei the most interesting. For one, the game is not his only reason for existence; Yusei as a character is as equally interesting as the story he is in. It's not as clear compared to the other protagonists, but Yusei truly is a hero as a product of his time; unlike the others, Yusei has a definite time and place where he shone – the rise of the Dark Signers, and the WRGP. There is no reusing him, and there is no way that the game becomes a centrepiece of his life the way it seemed to have become for the others. Yusei can very definitely make a living through his technological expertise alone, on top of his expertise in Duel Monsters, and he does. It's a little bit tragic in its own way, but definitely marks Yusei's passage from centre of his friends to self-sacrificing hero to centre of his friends. It's a bit like Achilles' choice of glory or life, except not really.
> 
> Please review!


	4. Scarred Warrior

_A beach on Amazon Lily, post Marineford._

“The scar tissue is too deep,” Aki told him, days after the harrowing two weeks waiting to see if Luffy would live or die. “You'll have to bear that scar on your back forever.”

Over the Old Man's mark.

Ace barely felt anything, until faced with the matching cross-scar on Luffy's chest. For the price of a miracle, the scar on his back seemed minor in comparison.

“Well, we won't know anything about internal wounds, so Dr Trafalgar will-”

“NO!!!”

“-cut...” Aki glanced up at the spinning office chair. “Oh. He ran out.”

Trafalgar Law barely flinched from his spot in the warm sun as the infamous pirate, 'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace, ran out of his submarine ward, and started climbing the tree at the end of the beach away from him. “Is he alright...?”

* * *

_After two years, aboard the Thousand Sunny..._

Back on the Thousand Sunny, Punk Hazard in the distance behind them, Ace lay shirtless on the deck.

“Ace-san?” Aki called. “I just remembered, your internal exam hasn't been done for two years. Dr Trafalgar agreed-”

The red-haired doctor blinked at the empty spot where the captain's brother had been. “He's not here? Dr Trafalgar, have you seen Ace-san?”

Curled by the foremast seat, the newest Shichibukai lazily opened one eye. “He ran away. Too bad. His internals would have looked interesting. When did I say that I would cut him open?”

Aki smiled. “I didn't.”


	5. Pinpoint Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It occurred to me that scientists are scientists, no matter where they are... Please review!

_Post Marineford War, somewhere on the Grand Line..._

“Chemical or nuclear combustion?”

Ace really liked the guy. Having seen a few of the Straw Hats before its current roster, they were a solid crew, honest. It was just that none of them were insane while being seemingly so _rational_. “I just burn, that's all. Why?”

“Well, it's an insight into how Devil Fruits work,” Yusei continued. The inside of one wall of the hydrofoil _Black Bird_ had already been filled with Yusei's calculations, and Ace was being regaled with theory after horrifying theory of anti-Devil Fruit combat. “And you're the only Devil Fruit user I can bring this up with. Plus, you did ask about theories about how to deal with Blackbeard.”

“So how does my power translate into it?” Ace demanded.

“From your description of it, the Yami Yami power allows control over gravity,” Yusei sketched out. “Gravity is the weakest but longest-reaching of the generally accepted four fundamental interactions in nature; gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear, which are each understood as the dynamics of a field. Gravitational force is modelled as a continuous classical field _science science science science science..._ ”

The generally incomprehensible technobabble, when dumbed down, became horrifying in hindsight, especially if it implied that Blackbeard could reach over a theoretically infinite distance. Of course, then Ace had to bring up the currently-rogue Admiral Kizaru and then came way more than Ace ever wanted to know about light.

* * *

_En route to Dressrosa from Punk Hazard, New World._

“Shurororo! Dr Fudo, that idea is simply amazing!” Caesar Clown was sparkling. “Could it be possible to reduce hydrogen to its simplest constituents?”

“Well, in the synthesising of chemical elements via nuclear fusion within stars and quasars, the strong binds the atomic nucleus, whereas the weak mediates radioactive decay...”

Luffy was squatting in a corner of the deck, cradling his head from complaining about too much science. Usopp and Chopper were on their backs beside him; the latter from fan-gasms over Yusei's apparent scientific expertise, and Usopp from sheer incomprehension.

“Too... much...” Luffy leapt to his feet, grabbing Yusei by the lapels and bowling over Law, the only avid listener of two scientists in the midst of doing science. Drool dribbled, and the handyman could only stare as Luffy's eyes sparkled. “Yusei! We've got to build that bomb!”

“Don't encourage him!” Nami yelled from the upper deck, where Robin and her were seated with Momonosuke.

“You know...” Law drawled, “...silence can be ensured on my submarine.”

“Trafal-guy!” Luffy's turn to yell. “Stop trying to recruit him!”

“We don't have the resources for a nuclear bomb, Luffy-san,” Yusei gently tried to pry the hands off his jacket lapels, wincing from his shoulder injury by Vergo's Shigan. “And I lied on some of those facts, so Master Caesar will just have to extrapolate himself how to build one. Ouch-”

“Chopper!” Luffy yelled. “He said ouch!”

“What?!” Chopper yelled, panicking. “That's terrible! Someone get a doctor! Oh wait, I'm a doctor...”

“One, two!”

“Wait, Dr Fudo! Don't leave me with these idiots...!” Caesar's mournful yell echoed behind them.

“It's still not too late!” Law called behind the makeshift parade with Yusei being held bodily by Luffy and Usopp.

Yusei just sighed, smiling up at the captain. “Well, I leave my life in your hands, Luffy-san, Usopp-san.”

If Luffy froze momentarily, no one really called on it. “Of course! Now, to the doctor!”


	6. A Hero Emerges

Yusei is a hero.

He doesn't say it. He never says anything about his life from wherever he came from, somewhere in this world or not. Those strange cards and that strange game he plays are the only clue, and they're Yusei's treasure. They're also his weapons, but in a strange way, they're his friends. He's got a good brain, and a kind heart, and a strong sense of justice, but even knowing that we are pirates, even knowing what we do... he became one of us.

In this world of pirates, it should be strange to fight with the bodies and abilities of friends, but somehow, I can entrust our lives to Yusei. Since Thriller Bark, and ever since he joined the crew, Yusei seemed to go from a bit sad, to happy, and yet he still looks a bit sad. Not like Robin, or Nami... a bit more like Usopp before we left Water Seven. Like all his friends had left him, and those cards are the only proof of them. They, and us, are his treasure.

Aki followed him from that other world, but it can't be helped. She's a wonderful pirate. She's not Yusei, though. Yusei...

...Yusei came to Marineford for me. Even when I arrived into Marineford from Impel Down, even without knowing that I was there, he was already there, knowing that Ace was my big brother and getting ready to rescue him. Yusei, and Aki, and those awesome dragons beat the Marines and the Shichibukai and everyone. Because of me... for my sake...

_You are not alone! I am a Straw Hat Pirate!_

He's awesome. Aki's dragon, that butterfly dragon, that birdie dragon, that demonic-looking one, and Stardust, are awesome. They kicked the Marines' asses, and then... then we broke Ace out after ramming a dragon into the platform! That's so COOL!

Then the shitty Admiral taunted Ace, and then-

The paper began to burn up. There was a stink of wrong – charred meat and rotten eggs and Ace... Ace...

"That paper... represents the owner's life force..." Yusei realised, glancing at the only card he could play. "The paper... is burning up..."

"AAAAAAAAAAACCE!" I shouted. "You're my only brother! If I can't save you... I'd rather die!"

" _Kiseki no Zanshou!_ "

In the echo of Yusei's declaration, the world whited out, as like a phoenix, from the ashes, a glimpse of white began to build. The Vivre card started to regrow, and Ace stood up and punched Akainu. It was nothing like Moriah's shitty zombies... or anything else... there was no trick, no reason, and yet Yusei created a miracle for me. The price must be higher than the skies, deeper than the oceans, further than even the ends of the earth... but he revived my  _big brother_. I felt so happy, so damn happy that One Piece is nothing. Meat is nothing. Sabo... it's too late for Sabo, but he'd have liked Yusei, if just planning and sabotaging the Marines wasn't enough.

He's got a bounty higher than Zoro now, shishishi! 'Shooting Star' Fudo Yusei! It's a good name, because he fulfilled mine and Ace's, that old man's wishes.

To sum up, he's a man searching deeply for romance. That's fine. He can't sleep, and I feel bad sometimes, because it looks like he only got them after Marineford. He's got these scars on his fingers from summoning those friends of his. They need his life force or something... I don't understand, but it just means I'll have to kick twice as much ass for Yusei. Zoro and Sanji can take Aki's load. He's a poker face and Nami calls him twice as reliable as any of us and he's more or less married to the Yusei Go and Aki, and he's the handyman of our crew. Yusei's a good man, and a hero. He lets us wish upon a star and hope that things will be alright. Those powers or his magical abilities or his stone-like poker face don't matter, because under all of that, is that man who does his best for his friends.

So don't curse him! Don't lay a finger on him! Saint or devil or even a dragon from heaven, he's nakama! Those who hurt him, I'll send them flying!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find Luffy's view on Yusei a bit odd, to be honest. Because I didn't write in any special arcs for Yusei, he's really an enigma to the crew, since they really don't know much about him or his past. So Luffy compares Yusei to Robin, and that's why he sees Yusei as happy-and-sad; Yusei is content with his dreams fulfilled, sad because romance like in the One Piece world doesn't exist in his world, and to court anymore is simply suicidal. Luffy knows about Yusei's expertise, and doesn't care about it over his 'awesome dragons'. And, Yusei and Aki was the main force behind Marineford, and their appearance gave Luffy a boost of confidence in Restructer Revolution, because the total stranger of Yusei was still willing to walk into certain death for Luffy as a Straw Hat Pirate. Add in Ace's revival, and Yusei can be firmly placed into one of Luffy's heroes and as crew.
> 
> Please review!


	7. Heartfelt Appeal

_Kuja Palace, Amazon Lily, after the Marineford War..._

“...in short, Luffy-san has yet to awaken from his coma,” Aki reported in the hall of the Kuja Palace. “However, his condition is indeed much improved that, depending on his condition in the next few weeks, we could attempt artificial resuscitation soon.”

“Is that so?” Boa Hancock drawled, uncrossing and recrossing her legs on her snake-throne. “Many thanks for your regular updates, Dr Izayoi.”

“No, I thought you might like to know since you were worried for his sake,” Aki answered, trying not to feel too exposed in the traditional Kuja garb that she was somehow landed with. Two weeks or so on the Island of Women and fourteen daily reports meant that Aki's comings and goings were no longer much of a security issue, and something like a courtesy call as the only woman in the combined pirate camp by the gulf was developing into a method to ensure that the Pirate Empress continued eating. “I feel the same way about Yusei.”

“One less rival!”

Aki blinked. That hiss could not have come from... well, it could... “Is there anything else I could add, Snake Princess?” she asked warily.

“You are dismissed,” Hancock waved, sorrowful in a quiet serenity. “Come back tomorrow... please.”

“Our captain... he would prefer that his acquaintances attempted to keep up their health in his absence, Snake Princess.” Then Aki left.

The Elder Nyon was waiting outside of the throne room. “Myany thyanks for the constyant updyates, Dr Izayoi. Our empress is truly grateful to you from the bottom of her heart.”

“It's my job as a doctor,” Aki replied, walking with the elder. “It's strange, the feeling of love.”

“Ah, you can tell that she has gotten the love-sickness,” Nyon commented. “Love and fear make for a stifling cocktail that will not calm the storm in her heart.”

“Thinking about it, feeling such deep emotions to some other person you don't even know is truly a terrifying thing,” Aki agreed. “I... I know that feeling.”

“The other man from the Strawhat crew... Yusei, was it?” Elder Nyon reflected.

“...yes.”

“...I see,” Elder Nyon replied. “You followed him to Marineford out of love?”

“That, and other things,” Aki replied. “Yusei... saved me once. He saved our place, our city, and then one day, he disappeared. I chased him down, and I found him with new friends, in another place, so completely different from our own, that I could never imagine how he could leave us. It was at Sabaody, and then Marineford, that I realised that we left Yusei first. This was his chance. Just like how I started a new life... Yusei must have wished for something else in his life, but the bonds that let him raise all of us to where we are, also bound him to his birthplace. Somehow, Luffy-san was able to reach something in Yusei. I have that gratitude to repay as well.”

“Even to go as far as to bear that ugly name, the Black Rose Witch?”

“It's a part of me,” Aki replied with confidence. “Now, I have to go wrangle Ace-san to take some food with Jimbe-san to help out.”


	8. Mind Haxorz

_Post-Thriller Bark, en route to Sabaody_

Yusei blinked at the sudden lights that came on.

“I want you to answer all my questions truthfully,” Usopp stated, uncharacteristically serious. A pencil was tucked in behind his ear. “I'll ask you again. What's your full name?”

A pause, and then Usopp's backbone straightened. “I'm Usopp,” he said, bowing while still seated. “Nice to meet you.”

“Erm, Fudo Yusei.” Yusei frowned. “Usopp-san, is this... a job interview?”

“I'm asking the questions!” Usopp complained. “What's your occupation?”

“Ah, I'm a scientist. Speciality: particle physics and computer science.”

“Scientist?” Usopp started. “You... really don't look like one. I thought that somehow there's a biker gang around or something...”

“Yeah, people usually say that,” Yusei gave a chuckle. “Before that, I was just a mechanic and handyman since I was eighteen. Over ten years, I've been involved in several energy generator projects and energy research, and I got my doctorate at twenty-two. I'm twenty-eight now... time really flew.”

“Handymen can summon dragons in your world?!” Usopp looked really pumped up.

“That's just a game in my home world,” Yusei demurred uneasily. “Besides that, I think my brain and my abilities with mechanics would be of better help to the Strawhat Pirates. My virtues are... I can learn easily, I have a lot of patience, and I'm adaptive. My weaknesses are... I make a lot of friends, and I can't put aside my feelings towards them easily. If we're going to kill for any reason other than defence... I don't think I can do that. Actually, I'm a bit worried about that...”

“I haven't seen Luffy kill anyone yet,” Usopp assured. “You'll be fine with that reliable-looking poker face. One look at you and Nami's definitely going to assign you permanent Luffy-watch.”

“8|...”

“Uhm... could you look elsewhere? That face is scary...”

* * *

The galley itself was lit, though only by the single light that Yusei had put on to navigate his way to a late supper that Sanji had set out in the locked fridge for him. The mystery of the lights was resolved upon spotting the rubber captain of the pirate ship he was on, and now _his_ captain, stuck in a giant mousetrap.

“Yusei~” Luffy warbled. “Help me~...”

“Luffy-san,” he acknowledged, stooping to lift the horizontal bar and allow Luffy to wriggle out, before snapping it back down and then returning to his own sandwich. One pathetic look, and he was sharing the sandwich.

“Thanks!” Luffy chomped down on it. “So good~! Yusei, you ever tasted food as good as Sanji?”

“No,” the mechanic neutrally replied. “Sanji-san is an excellent chef. But that's no excuse to raid the pantry, Luffy-san.”

“You can pick the lock, right?” Luffy grinned.

“Nami-san and Sanji-san will punish me if I do.”

“Che, I'm the captain!” Luffy pouted, but not for long as he started to lick crumbs off of his fingers. “You're still looking for a way to get back? To your world?”

“I was fixing my D-Wheel,” Yusei answered neutrally. “I have a few theories, but... actually, I found a chance to return. But...”

“Eh? Then why?” Luffy stared at him.

“...I have something to protect, that I promised my friends. These few years, I found myself in a slump, and I worried. As if... a part of me was slowly dying, and only the light of that promise to protect Neo Domino kept me going.” Yusei took a deep breath. “Meeting you all... I shouldn't say it, but I felt alive again. I met my monsters, for the first time, and as a Duelist I'm so glad. I know the danger, but I'm so glad to have met all of you and made friends, pirate or civilian alike. If I said, that I chose to follow you out of my faith in the bonds of everyone of us, including those friends you would likely never see... would you laugh?”

“I'll never laugh at a reason like that!” Luffy grinned. “We're really _nakama_ now! That makes you so cool, to do so many things for your friends! Shishishi!”

* * *

_Post Marineford, Amazon Lily..._

Those words that he spoke echoed as he dragged Yusei along to meet Hammock, er, Hancock. His handyman must be the coolest person in the world now, even if he was strangely reluctant to meet the Snake Princess or even set foot in Amazon Lily. That was alright, though. Even if Yusei couldn't save everyone, like the old man... Yusei's faith in him somehow led the handyman to come to Marineford, descending like a shooting star come to grant wishes.

Even for a complete stranger of a sort, Luffy trusted him. There was that kind of belief that made people want to die for him, of a sort. It was also a little bit sad, since the entire world was after him now, but the very fact of having met them grew a great and terrible emotion in Luffy's chest.

_That makes you so cool, to do so many things for your friends! Shishishi!_


	9. Parallel Twister

_The 'what if another member dropped into the One Piece world first' trope..._

News of the Strawhat pilot  had  spread relatively fast, especially since the weather, of all things, favoured their arrival into the New World. That formed part of the reason why Trafalgar Law had been eager to make an alliance with the Strawhat Captain.

“Why did I get punched?!” the short orange-haired man with the strange yellow tattoos bellowed at the shrewish navigator. That man had been the only one willing to argue – loudly, at that – with the woman who had most of the crew under her thumb.

“You're the only one who can fly! Those birds of yours report to you, right?!” Nami yelled back.

“Anyway, I'm not responsible for watching Luffy!” the man who was surely too short to be the pilot yelled. “That's you!”

“Well, you better find him, or I'll add four hundred percent to your debt!”

“Huh? Who the hell would leave cash around with such a penny-pinching purser onboard?”

“This is the Walking Unkindness?” Law finally asked. “I remember, Marineford had...”

“Shh!” The tiny injured doctor shushed him, directly before the short man rounded on him.

“Did you just call me _that_?” the man hollered. “I'm Crow the Bullet-sama! Crow Hogan! Stupid authorities, they're the same no matter what world you're in, but I'm not an unkindness! Got that, bub?”

“No need to get angry, Karasu-ya,” Law smirked. “Just, you work with Nami-ya as the navigation department of the ship, right?”

“It's like having two Namis onboard...” Usopp muttered.

“Crow! You're the one with the talking birds, so get to it!”

“Shut up! My cute Black Feathers can't be bothered to find that stupid captain!” Crow bristled. “

* * *

“Crow, fifty more degrees to port!” Nami called from the bridge.

“Got it!” A powerful gust blew through the Sea Slope, and even the powerful currents gave way to the power lent to the Sunny via the sails. “Oi, Gale, to port!”

“ _Croo_!” the giant blackbird obliged,  conjuring its namesake to push the Sunny ever onwards.

“Well, I guess an ability to manipulate sailing winds to one's will is a fairly useful power,” Law admitted.

* * *

There was a flamingo, a vulture and a crow, and three guesses which were pirates.

“Fuffuffuffuffu,” Doflamingo taunted. “You're the Strawhat pilot? You should curse your captain for getting you into these things.”

“It can't be helped.” A headband shielded Crow's eyes from sight, though two black-winged figures hung by his side. “That idiot loose on the sea just claws at my big brother senses. 'Sides... I don't like you. Oi, Tiger-dude, get your shit together.”

“You, and Strawhat-ya... I kill,” Law swore. Since Crow and an unkindness of blackbirds had descended upon Dressrosa, it seemed like an empty promise.

* * *

“The crow's nest is good enough for you, right?” Nami had stated upon Crow's introduction to the Strawhats off of Water Seven.

“Huh?!” the short orange-head had proceeded to blow up and start arguing with Nami and Sanji.

“Will he be alright...?” Chopper pondered, amidst Luffy's background laugh.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wikipedia: 'A pilot is a mariner who manoeuvres ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths, and completes the berthing / unberthing operation of the ships by controlling the ship's manoeuvrability directly and the tugs and shore linesmen through a radio.'
> 
> I'm testing to see if Crow would mesh with the Strawhats! Tell me what you think! Please review!


End file.
